Spring No 1 – Northern Loop, Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, & Paris 03.03.2011
The Northern loop spring break trip with bus2alps kicked off last week. Everyone was excited to travel 4,500 km through seven different countries to stop at four of Europe’s greatest cities; Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. The first stop was to Prague in the Czech Republic. Everyone was amazed at the walking tour of the city because they were unaware of the many different architectural styles of the buildings and the significance of Prague’s history. At night time many took part in the pub crawl that highlights Prague’s rather eccentric night life. Bars and clubs stay open until all hours and some took advantage of the late night food stands near Wenceslas square. Everyone on the trip wanted to check out Prague Castle, the largest coherent castle complex in Europe. The gothic architecture outside combined with the Romanesque inside was amazing and the castle area itself made for some great pictures and views of the city. Another highlight of Prague was the John Lennon wall. There were a few artists on the trip that enjoyed the different work on the wall and everyone was able to appreciate the wall as a symbol of non-violent revolution from the Czech youth against the communist regime.
Although our time in Berlin was shorter, everyone was excited to stop there and get a feel for the history. Highlights included the Berlin wall, amazing views from atop the TV tower, and the history lesson at the beautiful Brandenburg gate. A few even made time to head an hour outside the city to check out one of the original concentration camps. Berlin certainly created some fond memories for the group. Amsterdam consisted of a great deal of free time for the group to explore, as there is something for everyone in this great city filled with canals. Many went to the Anne Frank house as well as the Van Gogh museum which are two of the more famous exhibits in Europe. Everyone had a great time checking out local bars and clubs as well as strolling through the red light district at night. Several from the group said they had never seen anything like the transformation of Amsterdam from day to night and really enjoyed their time there.
Paris continued our lucky streak of great weather which made for yet another amazing walking tour. It seemed like nobody could put down their cameras as we strolled through the Louvre, saw the Arc de Triumphe and Eiffel tower, and cruised down the most beautiful street in all of Europe, the Champs Elysees. A highlight of the trip for everyone was our excursion to Versailles. One from the group said it was the most beautiful building they had ever seen. In just 10 days the group got to see some of the most famous sites in the world while experiencing some o
